NPR establishes fund to honor fallen journalists

PHOENIX — CPB will provide an initial investment of $400,000 for a fund to honor NPR photojournalist David Gilkey and translator Zabihullah Tamanna, who were killed in June while on assignment in Afghanistan.

NPR CEO Jarl Mohn announced the fund Tuesday here at the Public Radio Program Directors Association conference.

The fund will support the “work of journalists who share David and Zabi’s extraordinary commitment to bringing the public’s attention to the untold stories and overlooked people, places and events in the world,” Mohn said.

CPB’s contribution for the David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna Memorial Fund for International Coverage and Photojournalism will go to NPR and will help pay for equipment, training and support for international and video reporting.

“It’s our hope … that their legacy will live on, not only in the work that they did, but also in the work that they inspired today and in future generations,” Mohn added.

NPR said in a release that the fund “will help NPR remain agile and able to respond to global breaking news stories with both audio and photojournalism coverage, while tracking worldwide themes and trends. Support of the Fund will catalyze NPR’s long-term dedication to following news events around the globe, while remembering Gilkey, Tamanna and journalists like them who risk their lives fulfilling NPR’s mission to create a more informed public.”

“David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were masters of their craft who shared a passion for their work and extraordinary courage to go where few do to report stories of international importance,” said Pat Harrison, CPB president and c.e.o., in a press release. “Through this fund, we honor their work and want to ensure that their legacy lives on through public media’s global journalism.”

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